Right now, a large swath of the United States is still in winter’s icy grasp, but, slow as it may seem, we are approaching spring and with it the need to give our fields, lawns and open green spaces a little TLC. Our partners in the landscape industry and those dedicated park and recreation professionals who put their sweat and toil into the parks and fields in our communities have a lot to consider as they prep for warmer temperatures. Below, find some interesting stats on landscaping, turf maintenance and the people whose green thumbs enhance our recreation facilities all year long.

888,426: Approximate number of employees working in landscaping/turf maintenance as of January 2014.

87: Percentage of respondents to a 2012 Husqvarna Global Garden Report survey who believed having access to green space has a positive effect on the neighborhood or community spirit.

51: Percentage of people responding to Husqvarna’s survey who cite poor green-space maintenance as a deterrent to visiting their community park.

31 million-plus: Estimated amount of grassy acres spread across the United States.

80: Percentage of that grassy acreage made up by residential lawns.

$11.53: Average hourly wage for a grounds maintenance worker in the United States in 2012.

13: Percentage by which the landscaping industry is expected to grow between 2012-2022.

$74 billion: Estimated annual revenues of the landscape services industry.

73.6: Percentage of landscape maintenance providers that offer mowing services.

12.7: Percentage of landscape maintenance providers that offer green/sustainability services.

Sources: PLANET, Lawn & Landscape, Landscape Management Industry Pulse Report, Husqvarna Global Garden Report, The Lawn Institute and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Samantha Bartram is the Associate Editor of Parks & Recreation magazine.